Bravery, loyalty, tolerance and strength. These are just a few of the qualities Disney Princess characters have instilled in us from childhood. Most of all however, they have always acted as a timeless reminder to be kind to ourselves, others and everything that surrounds us, including wildlife and the environment.
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With every Princess character having performed at least one inspirational act of kindness in their story, they have proved to be a strong set of role models for all ages. Plus, Disney's new digital storybook, the Tales of Courage and Kindness Storybook Collection, which is available to download for free at DisneyPrincessStories.co.uk, celebrates new tales of courage and kindness from some of our favourite Princess characters.
HELLO!'s digital cover inspired by Disney Princess characters
This May, HELLO!'s Digital Cover is inspired by some of our favourite, kind-hearted Disney characters and our ongoing #HelloToKindness movement. From doing the shopping for an elderly neighbour to pledging to do your bit for the environment, find out 14 ways you can sprinkle a little more love and kindness into your everyday lives and that of others.
Illustrated by Alice X. Zhang and Studio Iboix
1. Mulan
Volunteering to join the army in order to save her father being forced into conscription, Fa Mulan's act of kindness was showing pure selflessness. The first Disney Princess character to be based on a legend, Mulan's story is a journey filled with bravery, compassion and determination, as she fights against evil forces to save her family and entire village. Despite being forced for the first half of the film to hide her true gender, Mulan continues to show kindness to everyone she meets along the way, and eventually saves the day.
Be inspired: Teach your children about volunteering at your local homeless shelter, retirement home or food bank to help those who can't help themselves.
Illustrated by Alice X. Zhang
2. Pocahontas
The first Disney Princess character to have been loosely based on a real person, Pocahontas is a Powhatan Native American and the only child of the tribe's Chief. Throughout the classic fairytale story, Pocahontas consistently shows kindness to her family, friends and animals but most of all, her act of kindness is peacefully stopping a war between the colonists and her tribe. She also saved John Smith's life by stopping his execution and persuading her father to release him.
Be inspired: Create harmony by being the peacemaker among your friends or family. Encourage open communication and listen to each side of a story.
Illustrated by Liam Brazier
3. Moana
Officially identified as a Disney Princess character three years after the film was released, Moana is the daughter of chief Tui who, after being chosen by the ocean, embarks on a journey to return the heart of a goddess to stop the death of animals and plants on her island. From chickens and pigs to the ocean and trees, Moana shows kindness and respect to all the animals and nature surrounding her.
Be inspired: Educate the next generation on protecting nature and animals by making sustainable choices including recycling, planting trees and cutting down on meat.
Illustrated by Nicoletta Baldari
4. Ariel from The Little Mermaid
Ariel is the first Disney Princess character to not be born as a human. The youngest of King Triton and Queen Athena's seven daughters, Ariel embarks on a love story with a human that leads to her losing her beautiful tail and voice. Ariel's main act of kindness in the 1989 film was saving Prince Eric from drowning but in Disney's The Little Mermaid TV series that followed, she continuously showed compassion to everyone no matter their circumstance. For example, in one episode, she helps an orphan who accidentally surrounds himself with unsavoury characters.
Be inspired: Step in when you see someone needs help, for example by dropping food and essentials at new parents' house or offering to babysit if parents need a few hours rest.
Illustrated by Alina Chau
5. Cinderella
Forced to do housework for her stepmother and stepsisters, following her father's death, Cinderella endures years of mistreatment before she is one day visited by her fairy godmother. After being given a dress and a horse-drawn carriage to take her to the king's ball, Cinderella falls in love with the Prince, who soon after marries her. Despite her wicked stepsisters and stepmother’s actions, Cinderella shows kindness by rising above and forgiving them, instead of seeking revenge.
Be inspired: Don't bear grudges. Forgive and forget wrongdoings.
Illustrated by Alina Chau
6. Anna from Frozen
The younger of the two siblings, Anna constantly looks out for her sister, Elsa, no matter how cold or distant she behaves. In the first movie, Anna goes looking for Elsa after she flees to the icy mountains, despite Elsa being aggressive and hostile towards her. Towards the end of the movie, Anna also saves Elsa's life by throwing herself in between Elsa and Hans, who was ready to kill her, causing herself to freeze. Anna's act of kindness was ignoring her sister's past sour behaviour and instead protecting her.
Be inspired: Continue to show respect and kindness to people who may not always show the same to you.
Illustrated by Liam Brazier
7. Aurora from Sleeping Beauty
Cursed by the evil witch, Maleficent, after finding out she wasn't invited to the Princess' christening, Aurora lives her life thinking she's brought up by three aunts (fairy godmothers), before falling into a deep sleep on her sixteenth birthday. She is saved by Prince Phillip who awakens Aurora with a true love's kiss. Aurora's act of kindness was the loving affection she showed for her three aunts. She is very loyal and honest, often helping them with chores around the cottage.
Be inspired: Volunteer to spend time with an elderly person by visiting them at their care home, doing their groceries and the like.
Illustrated by Ann Marcellino
8. Belle from Beauty and the Beast
Despite being frightened of the Beast at the beginning, Belle overlooked his physical appearance and realised that he was just lonely and scared. Her act of kindness was helping him to read, show compassion and control his anger, and of course she saved him from the curse by being able to love him. Belle also saved the lives of Maurice, the Beast's first victim, and her father, showing further compassion and her lack of hesitation when it comes to protecting others.
Be inspired: Always look for the best in people. They may surprise you.
Illustrated by Tara N. Whitaker
9. Tiana from The Princess and the Frog
Making history as the first African-American Disney Princess character, Tiana shows her kindness by being a good and loyal friend to Lottie, despite her eccentricity, as well as all the creatures she meets along her journey. She also agrees to kiss the frog (Prince Naveen) in order to turn him back into a human and therefore turns into a frog herself. Towards the end of the film, both Tiana and Naveen (who are both still frogs) avoid showing bitterness as they decide they are happy to live together as frogs.
Be inspired: Sacrifice some of your time or money to help someone else, for example by giving to charity.
Illustrated by Sara Kipin
10. Merida from Brave
The strong-willed, independent and stubborn daughter of King Fergus and Queen Elinor, Merida fights against her mother's wishes for her to 'act like a woman' and get married. Her anger led to her accidentally cursing her mother and causing her to turn into a bear. However, Merida's act of kindness was that she put aside her stubbornness and stopped thinking about herself in order to save her mother from being killed, and eventually fixed their rocky relationship.
Be inspired: Let go of your pride and ego to help someone you may not necessarily see eye-to-eye with.
Illustrated by Nicoletta Baldari
11. Rapunzel from Tangled
After meeting and falling in love with her knight in shining armour and learning the truth about who she thought was her mother, the strong-willed Rapunzel agrees to go with the evil witch in order to save Flynn's life. Despite being scared and having her whole life turned upside down, Rapunzel chose to be selfless and risk her life to save Flynn's.
Be inspired: Be selfless and go out of your way to help when someone is struggling.
Illustrated by Nathanna Erica
12. Snow White from Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs
As the leading female protagonist in Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, Snow White is defined as a kind and gentle Disney Princess character. She takes refuge in the dwarfs' cottage – not knowing anybody lived there – after fleeing from the wicked Queen, but upon seeing how dusty and dishevelled the place is, she decides to give it a good clean in case somebody does live there. It would be her way of saying thank you to the owner for giving her a roof over her head. And despite living with seven other companions, she takes delight in cleaning and cooking for the seven dwarfs and is never one to complain.
Be inspired: Show kindness in a practical way – a small gesture can go a long way!
Illustrated by Nabi H. Ali
13. Princess Jasmine from Aladdin
Despite being the daughter of the Sultan of Agrabah who is used to a life of riches, Princess Jasmine shows kindness to Aladdin, someone who is clearly less fortunate than herself. She also refuses to be silenced and isn't afraid to speak her mind, traits that we can aspire to.
Be inspired: Help those less fortunate and show kindness to people from all walks of life.
Illustrated by Nathanna Erica
14. Elsa from Frozen
Sometimes the kindest act is to let someone go and that was how Princess Elsa felt when she realised that her powers could cause harm to her loved ones, particularly her sister Anna. Her scary experience of injuring Anna as a child leads her to become anxious and reclusive and she flees her kingdom to establish her own solitary ice palace. Despite her reputation for being a cold-hearted ice queen, her warm and kind true nature comes to the fore when she is accepted back as Arendelle's reigning monarch with the help of her sibling.
Be inspired: Put others before yourself and let your loved ones know how much they mean to you.
